The Old Folks Home

[getaclue]

I want one of those too!

For Mother's Day, right?

 

[ronott1]

For Mother's Day, right?

Fathers day is Sunday!

 

[getaclue]

But, it is NOT a Father's day present.

 

[ronott1]

But, it is NOT a Father's day present.

But I really need battery operated staple Gun!

 

[CapricornFarm]

I've been thinking about Perchie too. In the mean time I am going to spin an egg.

 

[microchick]

Brine it first.

and you might need to go an hour or two longer

I've never done brining before. Open to instruction.

@getaclue. Congratulations on the new staple gun. That is a score in my book of course, I get excited when DH gets me a new sword or knife for my blade collection. Nothing says true love like cold hard tempered steel!Building tools and garden wagons are high on the list also!

 

[CapricornFarm]

I use a pneumatic stapler. Kicks butt!

 

[ronott1]

I've never done brining before. Open to instruction.

@getaclue. Congratulations on the new staple gun. That is a score in my book of course, I get excited when DH gets me a new sword or knife for my blade collection. Nothing says true love like cold hard tempered steel!Building tools and garden wagons are high on the list also!

Her you go!

How to Brine Chicken
First, let's start with a basic poultry brine recipe:

1 gallon cold water
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
Added flavorings

Spices, herbs and other flavors (chopped onion, garlic, celery, etc.) are all fair game. Use your favorites, use your judgement, and don't overdo it. Find a good recipe for more guidance.

Bring 1/2 gallon of the water, the salt and sugar to boil, stirring until both are completely dissolved. Remove from heat, add flavorings, cover and allow to cool completely. Add the remaining 1/2 gallon of water. Refrigerate to below 40 degrees Fahrenheit before adding chicken.

You can cut the recipe in half, or double it as needed, depending on how much chicken you'll be brining. Make enough so the chicken is completely covered in the brining container. If you brine in sealable plastic bag, you'll need less brine than if brining in a bowl.

To keep the chicken submerged, place a heavy plate, or a flat-bottomed bowl filled with some water over the chicken in the brine container.

Keep the brine and chicken COLD during brining, between 36-40 degrees Fahrenheit. If there's room, place the brining chicken in the fridge. If not, brine in an insulated cooler, and place a sealed bag of ice in the brine with the chicken. Don't put loose ice in the brine...when it melts, the brine will be diluted and it won't do its job.

How Long to Brine Chicken
Use the following brining time chart for chicken as a guide. Adjust within the brining times to achieve more or less salty flavor.

Whole Chicken

4 to 8 hours

Half Chicken

3 to 6 hours

Bone-in Skin-on Breasts

1 to 2 hours

Boneless Skinless Breasts

30 to 60 minutes

Legs, Thighs, Skin-on

45 to 90 minutes

Legs, Thighs, Skinless

30 to 45 minutes



Always brine in a non-reactive container. Glass, porcelain, crockery, plastic and stainless steel are all OK. Aluminum, copper and wood are not.

After brining, rinse the chicken well in cold, running water. Pat dry with a clean towel.

Now that the chicken is brined, it's ready to be seasoned with your favorite dry rub and smoked or grilled. Brined chicken usually takes less time to cook, which is another benefit of brining.

If you haven't brined chicken before, you'll definitely notice an improvement in both flavor and texture.

 

[Beer can]

Okay all you home grown chicken chefs. I slow cooked my first cockerel. Meat is delicious but a bit dry in spite of cooking him in ample stock for 7 hours.

How do I make the meat moister? Slow cook longer on low setting? More stock or is this just the nature of 1 year old rooster meat?

I always just use pressure cooker 20mins.
Ain't it weird how you can cook a bird in stock and still dry? Reminds me of a couple deer I got from the Adirondacks. Now they eat different than our deer no farmland just mountainous woods. Every bit of them seemed dry, even slow cooked in a crock pot stew. So IDK? Wasn't fat content cause I cut all off on ours ( venison fat isn't good )

 

[getaclue]

micro, I agree with you.